My 3-year old has been a fairly reliable nighttime sleeper for quite a while. I can’t tell you the specifics because my brain synapses no longer fire since I’ve been living with at least one child under the age of four for thirteen long years. But trust me. She normally goes to bed easily and sleeps all night, waking up ten to eleven hours later.
Except last night when she woke up at 1 a.m., 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. And tonight, when I put her down at 8:30 p.m., 8:50 p.m. and 9:50 p.m. (My husband tended to her that last time.)
I don’t have a point, either. I’m just saying that I’m distracted and tired.
* * *
Today, my back yard was filled with men (okay, well, three men) who put together one of those mammoth Rainbow Play Systems. Now we have a slide, ladder, fort, sandbox, two regular swings, one tire swing, swinging rings, and a partridge in a pear tree.
Afterwards, while the men were sitting around swigging bottles of water, one of them explained that two years ago today, his father died. And so he’d planned to come down here and construct the play system today, in memory of his dad. Did I mention that he donated this play system to us in the first place? (His kids outgrew it.)
I think it did his heart good to see my kids frolicking and swinging and christening the fort a “castle.” My daughter has never, ever been so dirty. At one point, she scampered inside, grabbed a pink fleece hat and ran back outside where she flopped down on her back in the sand and proceeded to make “snow angels,” only in sand.
* * *
My 13-year old sons have nearly finished their second year of school-at-home. A few weeks ago, we read a children’s version of some excerpts of Don Quixote. My blue-eyed twin, especially, adores the ideas of knights and swords and quests. He laughed out loud as I read of the exploits of Don Quixote and his sidekick. Then, he asked if I could get him the book Don Quixote.
I explained that the actual book is really long and challenging and he said, very seriously, “Mom, I think I can handle it.”
The book arrived from Amazon two days ago and he’s a dozen chapters into it. He thinks it would be a fine thing, indeed, to be a knight and to wander about seeking quests while carrying a real, live sword. I just want to clutch my throat and close my eyes in gratitude for this teenage boy who still thinks a fort can be a castle and who calls himself “Master King” and offers to knight anyone, including his 3-year old sister.
The midnight hour approaches. Seven hours until the house begins to wake up again. And how much sleep does a mom need?
(That’s right. Just ten more minutes.)
Actual Unretouched Photo 
Hey Mel! I can’t believe I have you all to myself. Do you know how useless a comment seems when it will be comment 44 or some such number? But I should know better…I know you enjoy 99.9% of the comments your faithful readers leave you. Thanks for welcoming me back to blogging. I’ve missed you :o) Love your new blog, btw.
LikeLike
I enjoyed reading this post. I felt like I was in your quiet house as you wrote.
Your son sounds so great.
Would love to have a Rainbow playset donated to us!! LOL! your kids will have loads of fun on it!
LikeLike
Came by this morning before heading out to work to get my daily “fix”, haha! I, too, used to love those quiet hours when the kids were finally settled and the house was MINE! I used to love to sit up and read ’til one or two in the morning…that was back before computers. I went thru a perimenopausal stage for about 3 years of terrible insomnia at the end of my 40s but thankfully that seems to have passed now that I’m into my 50s. Some of the sweetest late-nite hours I’ve spent recently were when I stayed at my son’s house right after my little grandson was born. I took the middle-of-the-night duty so the kids could catch up on sleep…and my little grandson and I spent several hours just cuddling and bonding. There’s nothing like crooning lullabies to a newborn, is there? Loved this post, Mel…hope you have a lovely day.
LikeLike
Yay for the blue-eyed twin! I too, love a little Don Quixote.
My little stinker woke up FOR THE DAY at 5:15 this morning. I feel your pain.
LikeLike
Maybe your daughter was so excited about the Rainbow Play System that she couldn’t sleep. 🙂
LikeLike
I’m with you on the sitting around at midnight, writing. It’s amazing, the simple therapy that it can be.
LikeLike
Can I come over and play on your jungle gym?
My synapses don’t fire anymore either.
LikeLike
Just stopped in on my lunch break! Sounds like your house is going to be fun while they break in the new play ground. I read part of Don Quixote in 12th grade. Did I mention is was in Spanish? Yeah, I’m sure it lost some stuff in the translation (but I’m not that great at translating) but I still thought it was a good book. I now own the english version and haven’t made it past the first couple of chapters. Maybe I should take it out of the bathroom…
LikeLike
Simple pleasures. Simply, the best.
I want recess. Now!
LikeLike
So, um… why the switch? You’ve revamped the page, but why a new location???
So sorry I’ve been incomunicado lately… lots on my plate in the sphere outside the blogosphere… I hope you’re keeping well.
D.
LikeLike
I think that is one of the joys of homeschooling–children stay children much longer! If he were in public school he would be teased for loving and pretending to be a knight. Bravo to him for tackling Don Quixote! 🙂
LikeLike
I too like to stay up late and get my last relaxing moments of silence in before bedtime. So, often I comment on your posts late at night. Last night, however, I went to bed just after 10p. Shocked my husband.
So, I am having to catch up today.
I too think that the playset could be reason enough for your little girl’s lack of sleep.
I think it is great that your son dreams of being a knight. There are a lot of great books you will get to direct him toward. I read Don Quixote in a Spanish class awhile back. It was a tough read but well worth it. It is one of my favorite stories too.
LikeLike
What a beautiful piece! My Okapis are only 3.5 (boy/girl twins) and I can only imagine hearing them ask me to read a book themselves – and then actually doing it. The pride you must’ve felt…brings tears to my eyes.
Btw…Love the new site.
LikeLike
Oh I’m weak with envy. I want one of those gyms for my kids. It’s been my dream! I’m swooning here!
LikeLike
12:40 AM here.
Husband snoring soundly.
22 yea old son arguing with me.
It gets harder to outlast him now that he is old, and school is out.
LikeLike
Well your new site threw me at first…I was dazed and confused. I love all the pictures of you and your family, makes it feel more like your home.
I have a 14 year old son, who loves swords and knights and played in the sprinkler for an hour with a 11, 7, 5,and 4 year old. He is so young and free still, I love that about him. I can so relate. I am thinking a Don Quixote book may be in store for my lad too.
LikeLike
That guy is awesome. I love him.
Have you read misquoting jesus yet?
LikeLike